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Saul’s Final Descent into Darkness
By the time we reach 1 Samuel 22:18, Saul’s downward spiral is undeniable. Then the king said to Doeg, “You, turn around and attack the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. Then he put to the sword the city of Nob—the priests, their families, even the women, children, infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep.
We pause here because something shocking has happened. Saul refused to kill the enemies of God, yet here he is, slaughtering the priests of God and wiping out an entire city dedicated to serving Him. He has moved beyond mere disobedience; he is now actively warring against the very God who anointed him.
This isn’t just rebellion—it’s treason against heaven.
Jumping ahead to 1 Samuel 28:7, we see the full extent of Saul’s corruption. After murdering the priests and relentlessly hunting David, he now turns to witchcraft. Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go and inquire of her.” His men reply, “Behold, there is a woman at En-dor.”
Saul disguises himself, sneaks out under cover of night, and seeks power from the demonic. The man who once stood before a prophet receiving anointing from God is now bowing before a witch, desperately grasping for answers. His fear, his desperation, his utter abandonment of trust in God—this is the final evidence that he has chosen darkness over light.
The Battle That Ends It All
Now we come to 1 Samuel 31, the tragic conclusion of Saul’s story. While David, through divine intervention, was spared from marching with the Philistines and sent back to rescue his own people from destruction, Saul and his sons were left to face the Philistine army alone. The men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines pursued Saul and his sons, striking down Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua.
The battle closes in. Saul is wounded by enemy archers, and he knows the end is near. But instead of crying out to God, instead of repenting, instead of asking for mercy—he chooses suicide. “Draw your sword and pierce me through,” he commands his armor bearer, “lest these uncircumcised Philistines capture me and make sport of me” (1 Samuel 31:4). But his servant refuses.
So Saul takes matters into his own hands. He falls on his sword. His armor bearer follows. His three sons lie dead. His mighty men are slain.
Everything he built, everything he fought to control, everything he feared losing—it is all gone.
The Consequence of Choices
Saul’s story is a warning. This is what happens when a person repeatedly rejects God, silences His voice, and chooses their own way over His. He did not lose everything overnight. It was a slow descent, a series of choices—each one leading him further from God’s will, until he reached the point where he believed death was his only escape.
But even in his final moments, he had a choice. He could have called out to God. He could have sought mercy. He could have repented.
Yet, he chose despair. He chose pride. He chose death.
And his choice did not just affect him. His sons died with him. His armor bearer followed his example. The mighty men who stood by his side fell at his side. His entire legacy was one of destruction.
And that is a sobering reality for us today. Every choice we make—whether to follow God or to resist Him—impacts more than just ourselves. We are either leading others closer to the kingdom or dragging them away from it.
Saul had influence. He had power. He had a divine calling. But in the end, he refused to walk in it.
And the consequences were devastating